Pets and Their People Blog

I recently lost my Kitty Kat; it gave me pause, as always when we lose a pet. We flashback to all the memories, laughs, and lovely moments we shared over the years. I sat in a quiet location as my tears subsided and flashed back to how she came into my life. I have not yet reached the point where I can think back fondly with a smile; the pain is still too raw. But what I can do is reflect on our time spent together, our reinforcement history, the walks, the cuddles, the feeding, the headbutts, the screaming in the car when we moved house. Oh, so many experiences that forged our relationship and how we interacted together.

If you are like me, you have also experienced this immense loss when we say goodbye to our pets. My only regret, and I experience it each time, is not having spent more time with them. Rather than having to rush to the office or the pressure of a chore at the expense of a cuddle or a petting session, taking the time to just be …. with them.

This loss is quite timely for me as this August, the Pet Professional Guild hosts our Celebrating Life Together Event, a two-pronged event designed to focus on Celebrating the Lives we share with our pets. Part One is the Community Outreach competition, where we will saturate social media with great examples of training and pet care that enhance the lives we share. Part Two is a three-day Virtual Summit where professionals can learn the best methods, approaches, philosophy, and mechanical skills to support the academic knowledge we have. 

So, join me in helping to spread great examples of training, pet care, and quality time together.

Your experiences and knowledge are invaluable. There are so many options, it’s hard to know where to begin.

Talk about an enrichment toy, share a fun walk in the park, or run with your dog. Show us how you interact with your kitty, horse, or bird. If you have a circle of friends to work with, then maybe a fun flash mob activity. Share tips on harness fitting, delivering reinforcement, canine communication, or safe petting through consent testing. Those of you who would rather not be on camera and are creative can write a short blog.

In July, you can share your entries across your social media platforms, and then in August, upload them to our voting platform, where you can send family, friends and clients to help you win great prizes.

Let’s focus on all the great ways we share our lives and celebrate our pets. What do you do daily and weekly that focuses on the extraordinary lives and experiences you share? Help others bring enrichment and fun activities into their homes so their pets can benefit too!

Let’s uplift and inspire each other with our shared experiences.

Come and share, learn, and laugh while we celebrate and showcase the best in positive reinforcement training and pet care. We need your participation to make this event a success. What will you do to help provide an antidote to ineffective and outdated training and pet care advice and approaches?  

About The Event

Your PPG Advocacy Event – Raising Awareness for Humane, Ethical, and Effective Pet Training and Care 

JOIN FORCES AND BE PART OF THE SOLUTION

Help Us Provide the Antidote to Harmful, Aversive Training & Pet Care

Part One- Community Outreach Competition

Part Two – A Three -Day Virtual Event

Event CEUs PPAB 30, CCPDT 24, KPA 24, PMCT 24.

3 Registration options. Click here to learn more

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About the Author

Niki Tudge, M.B.A, PCBC-A, CABC, CDBC SSA-CFT, Six Sigma Black Belt, HCITB TS1, TS2 & TS3 Certified People Trainer, Certified Facilitator and Business Project Manager

As the founder and President of The Pet Professional Guild, DogNostics Career Center and The DogSmith, Niki has substantial leadership experience in the pet industry. Niki has published numerous articles on dog training and dog behavior and her pet dog training businesses have been featured in many publications including The New York Times. Niki’s professional credentials include; AABP-Professional Dog Trainer, AABP-Professional Dog Behavior Consultant, PCBC-A and PCT-A through the Pet Professional Accrediting Board and she has earned diplomas in Animal Behavior Technology and Canine Behavior Science & Technology through the Companion Animal Science Institute. Along with Niki’s business degree and MBA from Oxford Brookes University she is also a certified Six Sigma Black Belt, a HCITB TS1, TS2 & TS3 certified people trainer and a certified Facilitator and Project Manager.